Talk with Local Farmer Raises Questions about Joe Bruno’s Consulting Firm

So I went looking for pumpkins today.  There is a nice farm a mile or two away that offers hay rides and pumpkin picking.  The farmer was very nice, he had moved here from out west and was trying his best at agri-tourism.  His farm is rather large, he rents acreage out to other farmers and grows his own veggies, corn, pumpkins etc.

One year the farmer decided he’d like to add a snow tube ride in the winter months to help him pay the mortgage.  He did his research and on the government’s website found that snow tubing was a certified agri-tourism business.  Enter Joe Bruno’s local thug, the existing town supervisor, Herrington.  Herrington also runs a large farm and has done his best to squeeze out other farmers, then sell their land to corporations like Wal*Mart.

Herrington tells this nice farmer that he can no longer run a snow tube ride on his own land because the area is zoned residential and that a neighbor or two have complained.  If you take a ride in Vermont you will see any number of farms offering other things to do on the farm, the same applies in Long Island.  But in Upstate New York apparently, there is no room for fun, unless that is of course you pay Mr. Bruno.

After a law suit and months of bickering Herrington shows up again at said farmers house and says “You know you can actually run a snow tube ride here if you just file a special form.”  The special form would have gone from Herrington to Bruno’s “Consulting Firm” to the tune of 30,000 dollars.

So what did this farmer do?  He’s running for town supervisor.  And I’m voting for him.  Engelke for Town Supervisor in Brunswick, NY.